Tag: Douglas Carswell

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many staff employed by the Environment Agency earn salaries of more than £100,000 per year.

Rory Stewart

This information is published annually as part of the government’s transparency agenda at: https://data.gov.uk/dataset/staff-organograms-and-pay-environment-agency

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The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-04-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, if he will make a comparative assessment of energy costs for heavy industry in the UK and in other EU countries.

Anna Soubry

UK industrial gas prices are among the lowest in Europe, while electricity prices are among the highest. Industrial energy use overall is split relatively evenly between electricity, gas and other fuels.

We are addressing the fundamental causes of the UK’s relatively high electricity costs, through:

• Short-term cost control measures, including the Levy Control Framework actions on solar and onshore wind, announced in summer 2015;

• Longer term measures including investment in new energy infrastructure (such as nuclear); and interconnection with French, Belgian and Norwegian networks which should help to reduce the difference between the electricity prices here and in Continental Europe.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-09-15.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what plans he has to increase the number of Departments of Community Mental Health.

Mark Lancaster

The provision of mental healthcare to the Armed Forces is kept under regular review, to ensure that it continues to meet the demands placed on it in the light of changes to the size and location of the UK Armed Forces.

Following a recent review of the Defence Mental Health Services, we are in the process of reshaping the current network of Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs) into a "hub and spoke" model. Once implementation is complete, we will have moved from a total of 16 DCMHs in the UK (plus satellite centres overseas), to 11 "hub" DCMHs located in main centres of military population, plus "spoke" Mental Health Teams (MHTs) serving a further eight locations, making 19 sites in total. Regular visiting clinics will also be held at other military centres around the country.

Focussing on fewer but larger DCMHs will enable us to provide greater resilience and a more consistent range of clinical and operational capabilities, while the additional of MHTs will increase accessibility and provide a more robust support for delivery to Cyprus, the North West and Wales, as well as improving access for eligible reservists and veterans.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-04.

To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what measures the Government plans to take to address the concerns expressed by the Independent Monitoring Board in its report, HMP Winchester, Annual Report June 2014 to May 2015, published on 2 November 2015.

Andrew Selous

The HMP Winchester IMB Annual Report acknowledges the professionalism and commitment of the Governor and his staff at HMP Winchester, who manage a challenging and diverse population. We are currently recruiting prison officers to fill vacancies at Winchester, and new officers are due to start work in the new year. Should a serious incident occur at Winchester or any other prison, the situation would be constantly risk assessed as it develops to ensure the best and most appropriate response. National resources are available to provide assistance at any time, if additional resources are needed.

A wide ranging programme of work has been initiated to counteract New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) in prisons. The National Offender Management Service (NOMS) continues to work hard to source more work for prisoners across the entire prison estate. This includes working with local and national businesses as well as other Government Departments.

I wrote to Winchester’s Independent Monitoring Board Chair on 3rd November, providing a full response to the concerns raised.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2015-11-30.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will take steps to prevent recently arrived Syrian refugees on the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme from relocating to different areas of the UK from where they were originally located by that scheme.

Richard Harrington

Local authorities provide those resettled under the Syrian Vulnerable Persons Resettlement scheme with a comprehensive support package which is tailored according to the individuals needs. We encourage refugees to remain where they have been resettled to take advantage of this offer, however, they are free to relocate within the UK if they choose to do so.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-01-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how much the Army Air Corps and Fleet Air Arm Augusta Westland AW159 Wildcat helicopters cost from development and approval to the end of 2015.

Mr Philip Dunne

The accrued costs on the AW159 Wildcat helicopter programme since the main investment decision in June 2006 through to the end of 2015 is £1.5 billion.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether his Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

David Mundell

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-02-26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, with reference to the Prime Minister’s Oral Statement of 22 February 2016, Official Report, column 35, on the European Council, whether his Department is undertaking planning in the eventuality of a majority leave vote in the EU referendum.

Jane Ellison

At the February European Council, the Government negotiated a new settlement, giving the United Kingdom a special status in a reformed European Union. The Government’s position, as set out by the Prime Minister to the House on 22 February, is that the UK will be stronger, safer and better off remaining in a reformed EU.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-24.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what the outcome has been of its programme to improve the effect of public expenditure on the quality of service delivery and poverty reduction in Uganda.

Mr Nick Hurd

Supporting public financial management is essential in promoting accountability and ensuring the efficient use of public resources to drive poverty reduction, as well as being fundamental in the fight against corruption.

The Financial Management and Accountability Programme (FINMAP) works across the public financial management system. The programme has registered a number of achievements. The Public Finance Act was passed by Parliament in November 2014 thanks to technical support provided by FINMAP. A new Government of Uganda Public Financial Management reform strategy for 2014–2018 was launched in August 2014. The programme has also strengthened the Office of the Auditor General.

The below Parliamentary question was asked by Douglas Carswell on 2016-03-23.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, how many staff in his Department were in receipt of Continuity of Education Allowance in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and what the cost to his Department was of providing that allowance for staff based (i) in the UK and (ii) overseas in each such year.

Mr Tobias Ellwood

The figures requested are attached and as follows:

It is a condition of their employment that members of the diplomatic service must be prepared to serve anywhere in the world at any time during their career, sometimes at very short notice. Those with children have a legal obligation as parents to ensure that their children receive a full-time education from the age of five years. Most parents prefer to take their children with them abroad, but in some of the 168 countries where the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has UK based staff, we do not permit staff to take their children for health or security reasons. In others, local schools of an acceptable standard are not available. It is longstanding practice that the FCO helps staff by providing financial support for their children’s education in the UK where staff choose this, or are obliged to do so given local conditions in the country to which they are posted.